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Accredited Nature-Connecting Online Alternative and Natural Holistic Degrees Courses and Careers that include the truths of life experience and prior training, independent thinking, essential networking and ecological grounding mentor careers.
Project
NatureConnect Director Sponsors a Concert by John
Cohen
(John Cohen is the "John" in the Grateful Dead Album and song Uncle John's Band sung by Jerry Garcia.) See schedule of appearances.
A Concert by John Cohen (the "John" in the Grateful Dead Album and song, Uncle John's Band, by Jerry Garcia) by Michael J. Cohen,
Friday Harbor, WA 98250 My mind-set is not nepotism, rather, it's a state of constant awe. It never ceases to amaze me that I'm the older brother of John Cohen, the "John" in Jerry Garcia's song and Grateful Dead album Uncle John's Band. I think back to 1952. At that time, "hillbilly music" was in disrespect while, today, it is widely welcomed and played as old time folk and string band music. This is because John recognized that this non-commercial, mountain-type music originated in, and celebrated, the uncelebrated lives and hearts of down-to-earth folks who, grassroots, grew America. He was instrumental (no pun intended) in acquainting the uninitiated with this music and its deep-seated integrity. His struggle to help overcome the bias against it is the core of Uncle John's Band. John followed my pioneering folk music footsteps and, like myself, the nature-rooted community values of our parents. He became an avatar of old time backwoods music and songs, and, in 1958 he joined with Mike Seeger and Tom Paley to form the "New Lost City Ramblers." They specialized in the string band format by performing it, often note for note and word for word, from early recordings of bands like the Carolina Tarheels, Sam and Kirk McGee, or Uncle Dave Macon and the Fruit Jar Drinkers. The "old fashioned" songs of these traditional musicians, as sung by the Ramblers, are the source of terms like "buck dancers choice" and "what the crow told me" that the Grateful Dead include in Uncle John's Band. With the untimely death of Mike Seeger last year, the Ramblers came to a 50 year closing. In replacement, John now occasionally performs with the Dust Busters (you can hear them together at http://www.myspace.com/dustbustersmusic) For mostly selfish reasons, I suggested that the Community Theater in Friday Harbor invite the group to perform here (so that John and I could get together again as we occasionally do). The theater enthusiastically consented. John's visit here with the band will include a bit of history in the making: we will share some of our earlier years as well as John's noted work in Films, Art, Photography and Textiles along with his relationship with Jack Kerouac and Bob Dylan. (http://www.johncohenworks.com/home.html). You might even learn how I gave the New Lost City Ramblers their name...now, how can you live without knowing that? <grin> Google "John Cohen" and "New Lost City Ramblers" and don't miss his performance with the Dust Busters in Friday Harbor on March 7, 2011. Explore the schedule of their other 2011 appearances. Like a happy firefly when its tail is removed, it would "delight me no end" (pun intended) for John and the group to have a full house here and a standing ovation that he deserves. If you can help make it happen, that would be wonderful. And if I can help you attend this performance, please contact me, Mike Cohen Long time friend of Old Time Music http://www.contradanceband.com Contra Dance every Monday 7-9 PM, Mullis Center, Friday Harbor, WA POSTSCRIPT "The first days are the hardest days." "When life looks like Easy Street there is danger at your door" "You know all the rules by now and the fire from the ice." "Their (the band's) walls are built of cannonballs, their motto is 'Don't Tread on Me.' " "Come hear Uncle John's Band playing to the tide. He's come to take his children home." "Like the morning sun you come and like the wind you go." "Ain't no time to hate, barely time to wait." "Think this through with me, let me know your mind."
You may read and distribute a press release abut this page ECHN Program References: Overview
Article<http://www.ecopsych.com/hallucinatearticle.html> We invite
you to visit www.ecopsych.com Quotes from the Journals of anonymous Project NatureConnect online students. "Do I think dysfunctions in the man who shot the Representative and killed 6 persons, in part, result from his disconnection from nature's essence? There is some evidence already that this man believed that US government was way too strong. Maybe he did not believe in any government at all. It this what nature teaches? I think not. It seems there are foundational powers, in the earth and universe that puts end limits on everything and all freedom evolves best within those limits. For example by experience many species have learned to not kill all the prey, to not eat beyond hunger, to enjoy what attracts them, to attract what they need. True human government is evolving and I trust that the closer human government comes to the complex serving powers of the universe and earth, the more effective it will be in serving all life. For human government to effectively develop requires that individual leaders are wise as to their connection to and place, value in the community of life... A community of diverse life... A community which requires respect and presence and listening for real relationships... Did this individual experience an introduction to such a community? Did this individual sense the love that was in his face? If we are not introduced/encouraged to experience the natural world, we will find some way to get satisfaction, no matter what the cost...including "harmful pacifiers. We will not be disposed to deal with the abandonment feelings" from being "disconnected from our biological roots. Cohen says "had my childhood programmed me to the religious and spiritual dogmas of the closet world, I would, like most people, never have left the closet. Paradoxically, I would have lost the profound relationships I enjoy with nature" I would like all major religions to restore nature to the status of primary keeper of wisdom, the primary template for success in all professions and institutions, not first by words but by experience. But if they don't, it will become known anyway. I learned that positive early childhood experiences in nature are critical and that adult mentors who encourage this are critical. The natural habitat about us is 'for' us. I was/am loved by nature and I must live gratefully in US. Nature is teaching--no need for despair or zealotry or boredom. Nature allows that many people do not recognize who they are at this time and many do. With our luck comes responsibility. It is a great puzzle--how to assist our families to rebond consciously in an aquarius and attractive way (vs "know it all"stance)--it is an experience of patience (you can see why that word derives from 'suffering') that nature knows intimately. So I value this course." ^^^ It is a lovely sunny day here..all NIAL is glistening with diamond sparkles. The sparrows are a symphony of song..it is wonderful..I noted the snow on the fir trees form star shapes..so amazing..love to you all In Nature we are warned about hunger, anger, cold, mosquitoes ect….Wranglers tell us the same story about our inner nature That is why we often dislike ourselves. Nature’s intelligence must take charge of our stories so we may feel good and resolve out problems Nature connecting activites safely remove our distorted glasses for short periods of time and reconnect us to nature's essence, nature’s unadulterated sensory attraction realities. We discover that pain in nature means “I need to pay attention to additional sensory attraction signals now. In nature pain is nature’s love trying to support us. I was attractted to a small treed area near my apartment..i often cross through here on my way to class or the shops but I seldom spend quality time in this area. The day was cold, and the sun was behind the buildings..but I took off my hood and gloves to experience as much of nature's spirit as I could. I silently asked permission to engage and connect..and felt a hug from the breeze. I started with Nameless..nice to just be a part of the area..standing tall like a tree..a little fat like the bushes..my feet under the snow ….then I noticed the branches being tossed by the wind, the pattern of these twigs against the sky was so attractive, they whipped this way and that..so free, like a dance....then I became aware of my hair, it also was picked up ruffled around..NOW there was a Connection…as well as an Attraction, It seemed all was ruffling my head like my grandfather did long ago. It has been a long time since anyone has shown their love for me that way…I looked at the trunks of these trees..all scared and split..like me..my wrinkles of age and a whole lifetime of scars and lumps and bumps..i thought to myself…or maybe NIAL connected with me here….why do I find the tree so attractive and my own scars and wrinkles unappealing?..these marks show our history..our life experiences. I thought on this for some time..about the shame a lot of us feel about our bodies. This thought process made me feel very good about myself..I walked in the snow..and noticed that different types of snow talk differently..one part of the area had the same sound as walking in sand..I really love the feeling of the snow communicating with me right through my boots..just like I love the feeling of bare feet connecting in the sand…The packed down area crunched and squeaked with glee!!! I came through this activity with so many good feelings..so many in tune with nature feelings..so many connections and awakenings, like Woodstock in a forest. I learned that the stories we are told are detrimental to our self worth and validation and that if I got to nature on a regular basis, take off my coloured glasses and spend time connecting to attractions, the distortions and stories will evaporate. I will discover the beauty of being a part of NIAL. In time..there will be no more wranglers. I learned that snow can sound like sand. I feel so loved when the wind ruffles my hair and I like knowing that the tree shows it’s life experiences on it’s skin just like me. I really love the conversations my feet and the snow have..I feel so acknowledged. Amazing feelings of self worth here….the negative authorities in me are so deeply entrenched in regards to appearance and age..it is always wonderful to find recognition of value and worth. I'm using this in my teaching of Oral Speaking in ESL. Thank you all for taking the time to read and share this activity with me. It was a most enjoyable experience..but then all my experiences with this work are incredible. ^^^ Social and environmental crises originating in human emotional distress prevail in all societies commonly referred to as ‘developed’ or ‘developing’. Project Nature Connect’s comprehensive nature-based education system, Educating, Counseling and Healing with Nature (ECHN), administers an antidote to the established nature-conquering system disorder that oppresses our natural sensory tendencies. Instead of educating us to create fulfilling lives, the ‘separation of reason from feeling’ our central way of knowing leads to stagnation and frustration expressed at all levels of society, where many life forms suffer to the detriment of all. The ECHN orientation course, based as it is on patterns of self-organizing systems in nature, teaches us how it feels to be part of an evolving organic system that creates harmonic functioning. As an artist/educator, ECHN encapsulates for me, an ‘environmental aesthetic’ through approaching learning as a self-fulfilling emergent phenomenon, with positive, far-reaching repercussions. In accordance with self-organising principles of nature, the ECHN course connects us to a growing web of global consciousness moving through us and inspiring us to perform healthily to support the whole. The integration of what is learned into dreamtime practice allows what is learned to further evolve through the subconscious, activating hitherto unknown sensitivities to benefit our Earth community. I was attracted to the ECHN program through reading about it on www.ecopsych.com, where I felt an affinity with Dr. Cohen’s work and subsequently read a statement preceding the introduction in the Web of Life Imperative that resonated so profoundly I knew I had discovered an approach to learning that confirmed that attraction- “ to recover our sanity, we must reconnect our psyche with nature’s genius and restore its strength and peace in our consciousness, thoughts and soul.” Dr. Mike Cohen. Having always referred to Nature as ‘my greatest teacher’, participation in the orientation course enabled me to reason why, and gain confidence in my ability to translate the benefits of lessons from nature into words to help others tap into the vast resource of nature’s wisdom. Working largely in isolation in the field of creative education on a tiny Caribbean island for the past 10 years, the online course provided me with an opportunity to connect with other educators in meaningful ways. I had previously felt spiritually isolated from a nature-conquering culture, constantly pained by the seemingly irreconcilable divide between nature and human beings. This propelled me to design a creative arts program, host a radio program and write a book to try to teach my fellow humans to love nature, nevertheless, the pain remained central in my life, weakening my spiritual reserve. From this isolated and vulnerable position in human community, the ECHN course provided me with mentorship within a like-sensitive community, named ‘Black Bears’. The loving support generated by the group was felt from the outset “I am committed to the Black Bear family as I am committed to myself for I believe that we are all one with nature” Jane responded to Madilyn by saying: “A statement like that creates unity and strengthens the strands of the web. Thank you for your strength I feel stronger because it is part of me now.” Such genuine appreciation for what I do and who I am, rejuvenated me to support others through my own receiving, which was at once humbling and empowering. From this strengthened position, I confidently explored how the Web of Attraction becomes fully operational in an educational setting. ECHN helped clarify, qualify and develop my teaching approach and methods, reinforcing my conviction that validation of nature’s attractions enhances the educational experience even within inadequate conditions, lack of equipment, in a department that operates with minimal budget as is common in our islands. a beautiful gift Participation on the course further informed my understanding of the Caribbean aesthetic, which I had previously identified as essentially creating something that solves a problem or a need, from found materials through wo/man’s interaction with their environment. I had observed this aesthetic to be nature connected through the principle of recycling, a manifestation of human creativity propelled by natural systems. I had previously built my understanding by asking elders about something that once existed. Now, through working with the online group, I actually experienced the connection that communities once had. This experience essentially fortified my efforts through nature-based work and in turn reinforced natural attractions by strengthening them through renewing the vigour that propels their formation. Working with the orientation group course has substantiated for me, the capability of human beings to make good the destruction we are reeking upon Earth. I now feel less shame as a human being and more connected to my human-ness as part of Earth. Connecting with other nature-sensitives doing amazing work, enabled me to experience being fully part of the unfolding of a global healing process. Through consistent practice of the activities, awareness gained through acknowledging the 53 sensitivities experientially, the course deepens our understanding of the natural function of the sensory relationship between human/nature, and how that relationship creates a reference point for the formation of all other relationships in our personal and working lives. A nature awareness cultivated since childhood, enabled me to answer 23 of the 42 questions in the Course Description with medium level confidence. However, my growth during the course was reflected in my present ability to answer all questions with confidence. Understanding was significantly improved in relation to identifying natural senses, the psychological root of human disconnect, and the deeply fulfilling purpose of human life on Earth. Meaningful communication with my group helped me to grow and expand through the supportive responses of other members which lead to a sense of being larger than oneself- literally filling one with energy. Like being at Woodstock, the sense of an expanding pool of support provided an understanding of true community in practical experiential terms, amidst few available working references in mainstream society. One very powerful aspect of the course was the development of my natural sensitivity to spiritual sense and capacity for sublime love. The increasing awareness of the atmospheric breath linking each being in the universe as our true abode, was greatly facilitated by consistently practicing the 12th guideline in the Thoughtful Verbalisation exercise. Identifying what things to place in the psyche, enabled an incrementally deepening insight to evolve throughout the course. It began with the initial activity of placing pure wonder and emptiness into the space, and developed through the awareness that true learning and understanding manifests beyond the physical realm, trusting how my nature works, this section was powerful for me as well. and what I saw as the ‘Breath of Attraction of Consciousness’. Such a realization explained my attraction to the statement made by Elbert Hubbard, ‘Nature is the unseen intelligence that loved us into being’ This realization became stronger culminating in grasping the greatest reward imaginable from giving ourselves to nature through our actions and the practice of nature connecting activities. The verbalizations describe the journey to spiritual liberation through sovereignty brought by feeling our feelings and trusting our first-hand experiences. The course aids emotional and spiritual recovery from social and cultural programming through practical application of resilient natural wisdom in our lives, and helps us to form cooperative relationships within our personal and working lives, community and natural environment. that is a good description! As such, the course deeply heals on many levels transforming lives of adversity and separation into lives that promote and support healthy functioning of Earth’s ecosystem. I have a workshop description for my community: Regenerate Our Island Nature- recover your creative power and life purpose by engaging nature as a source for creative action and original thinking. Harness your natural abilities for personal wellness, improved relationships, community and environmental integrity. Reveal your true worth as an island living treasure by discovering your special gifts to benefit your community. this would be such a healing experience for your island peoples and a benifit to the island itself" Benefit
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INSTITUTE OF GLOBAL EDUCATION Special NGO consultant United Nations Economic and Social Council
PROJECT NATURECONNECT SUBSIDIZED EDUCATION, COUNSELING AND HEALING WITH NATURE
Accredited CEU Courses, Certification, Grants and Degree Programs
online to sustain the well-being of person, planet and
spirit. Prior training and life experience
incorporated in all programs.
P.O. Box 1605, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
360-378-6313 <email> www.ecopsych.com
The Natural Systems Thinking Process
Dr. Michael J. Cohen, Director
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All programs start with the Orientation Course contained in the books
The Web of Life Imperative and Reconnecting With Nature.